REALIVE is a soulful retelling of the story of Frankenstein and his Monster through the eyes of the monster himself as a man with terminal cancer is cryogenically frozen and revived 50 years in the future.

When an artist named Mark (Tom Hughes) is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decides to go an unconventional route and cryogenically freeze himself in hopes that technology of the future will be able to find a cure. His on again/off again girlfriend Naomi (TABOO’s Oona Chaplin) is appalled by this idea and hates the idea of losing him. Still, Mark goes through with the process and through future technology which replaces subpar parts with newly grown organs and mechanical stabilizers, Mark becomes the very first Revived Man. Weak and fragile like a newborn, Mark struggles to build his bones and get used to his new body, all the while he is remembering what it was like to be truly alive in his previous life. The longer Mark lives in this new life, the longer he wonders if he truly is alive at all. When plans are made to bring back a mate for Mark, he doesn’t wish this struggle onto anyone else and makes plans to foil the plans of his doctor, Victor West (Barry Ward). Meanwhile, Mark’s nurse Elizabeth (Charlotte Le Bon) has formed a bond with Mark that tempts her to help Mark in his plans.

So yeah, two of the characters are named Victor and Elizabeth, so you’d better bet this is a Frankenstein story. And REALIVE really does mesh the classic tale with the technology of tomorrow pretty well. Mark is more machine than man as a large portion of his body has been genetically reproduced or mechanically supported and he even refers to himself as a “monster” when he suffers this crisis of conscience. The difference is that instead of having an “Abby Normal” brain, Mark has a brain that functions quite well and he is able to have these philosophical debates with himself, Elizabeth and Victor. This raises the film to an intellectual level that is rarely spoken and only eluded to on most FRANKENSTEIN stories. And compared to films like SHARKNADO, it raises the bar on ScyFy-style films as well.

Light on horror, there is a quite terrifying sequence where Mark finds out about previous participants in the Realive Process that is absolutely horrifying. Seeing these people, frozen with hopes of being revived and healed being treated as guinea pigs is going to be enough to make anyone wince. Still, the true horror is the moral ones at play in REALIVE, as we are taken through the entire process through Mark’s soulful narration, recalling his past, walking us through his painful present, and inevitably telling us the future is very bleak. The shocker of an ending really does pack an emotional punch. REALIVE is one of the most intelligent and soulful retellings of FRANKENSTEIN to happen in a long time. It’s a film worth seeking out if you’re a fan of medical horror, sci fi, and tales of the human soul. Equal parts a Frankenstein nightmare as it is a celebration of human life and a message to cherish every moment, REALIVE is a truly special type of film that resonates across genres.